It's widely accepted that shady sh*t is happening behind the scenes of some industries, even if it's not publicly broadcast.
The entertainment industry, for example, may dazzle with red carpets and flashing lights, but behind the glitz and glamor, lies a world of exploitation, power games, and cover-ups.
But what about the industries that appear squeaky clean from the outside? What if we told you that many professions have a dirty underbelly, including some that you'd least expect? Seedy secrets that outsiders are not supposed to know.
Someone once asked people to share the dirty, little happenings in their chosen professions and netizens didn't hold back. From shady business deals, to questionable ethics and even criminal activity, many of the answers might make you rethink what you once thought you knew about the world and its workers. Bored Panda has put together the top responses for you to scroll through while you wonder what's going on behind closed doors at your own company...
#1
You know those calendars with all those hugely muscled firemen in provocative poses?
Yeah, most of us look *nothing* like that. Sorry, ladies.
Yeah, most of us look *nothing* like that. Sorry, ladies.
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52points
If we were to ask you what profession was the most ethical, what would you say? Priests? Doctors? Lawyers? Vets? Police?
Most Americans believe that nurses are the most honest and ethical human beings around in this day and age. That's according to the latest “Americans’ Ratings of Honesty and Ethics of Professions” Gallup poll. 79% of American respondents rated the ethical standards of nurses as high or very high.
"Nurses have earned the highest rating in every year but one since Gallup added them to the annual survey in 1999," noted the polling company. "The exception was 2001, when firefighters -- included only that year -- earned a record 90% trust rating after their heroism in responding to the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers."
#2
Third Party Reservations. I work in Hospitality. Property side.
Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, all that, they're complete s**t. They pay us nearly full price for the room in the first place, and then charge you. Guess what that means? No real discount. Just that you don't notice it as much, because when you arrive you only use your card for incidentals. Quick note about that.
THEY DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT, GIVE YOU PROPER INFORMATION. About anything. Requested a king? Oh they sent the reservation over without any notes about that. Didn't get told we'd need a card at check in? That's because they don't care about customer service, and yes every hotel (that you actually *want* to stay in) in the world requires it.
I mean, the majority of people honestly don't know much about travel in the first place, but these kinds of websites let that ignorance stagnate. Do yourself a favor, book direct, talk to the agents and ask questions even if they're stupid ones, because it will save everyone a lot of trouble later.
Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, all that, they're complete s**t. They pay us nearly full price for the room in the first place, and then charge you. Guess what that means? No real discount. Just that you don't notice it as much, because when you arrive you only use your card for incidentals. Quick note about that.
THEY DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT, GIVE YOU PROPER INFORMATION. About anything. Requested a king? Oh they sent the reservation over without any notes about that. Didn't get told we'd need a card at check in? That's because they don't care about customer service, and yes every hotel (that you actually *want* to stay in) in the world requires it.
I mean, the majority of people honestly don't know much about travel in the first place, but these kinds of websites let that ignorance stagnate. Do yourself a favor, book direct, talk to the agents and ask questions even if they're stupid ones, because it will save everyone a lot of trouble later.
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42points
#3
Wanna know why candy is expensive for the average joe? It's expensive for the theater too. As long as you don't show it to us, just bring candy in your pocket WE ARENT CHECKING FOR IT. someone brought in 5 pizzas in the boxes, I applauded.
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35points
Grade-school teachers ranked second, with 61% of respondents rating them highly, while military officers, pharmacists and medical doctors didn't fare too badly either.
Many lobbyists, members of Congress and TV reporters apparently cannot be trusted, according to the results of the poll. More than half of U.S. adults believe their ethics are low or very low.
It's interesting to note while doctors came second in 2023 poll, trust in them has steadily fallen. "After reaching a historical high of 77% in 2020, doctors’ ethics rating not only returned to its 2019/pre-pandemic level of 65% but, at 53%, is now the lowest since the mid-1990s," Gallup reported.
#4
Used to work for a company that made software that runs on cars. The company develops the software and hardware for each series of car manufacturer (hence why all the Honda cars have the same stereo layout in a given year) and then ships a finished unit to a big car manufacturer to include in the car. I overheard some engineers talking
A "I found a bug where a rare combination of commands will make the volume stuck at maximum"
B "That sounds dangerous, are you going to report it?"
A "No, I already send the code and the product is ready for shipping, I am not delaying anything unless someone complains"
So if your car is ever stuck on max volume now you know.
A "I found a bug where a rare combination of commands will make the volume stuck at maximum"
B "That sounds dangerous, are you going to report it?"
A "No, I already send the code and the product is ready for shipping, I am not delaying anything unless someone complains"
So if your car is ever stuck on max volume now you know.
34points
#5
There are Bad Doctors / Nurses / Healthcare professional etc.... (By bad I mean any kind of bad, ranging from slightly unprofessional to "nearly" too dangerous to be allowed to practice)
The thing is, if you ask us, we can't blatantly tell you they're not good. So if you want to know if your future surgeon is good, either try to find other of his/her patients or look him/her up on the internet. The reason is that Since I'm not a Doctor, I technically have no right to criticize them and it would be considered "Damaging his/her reputation" and could be sued / lose our jobs for that.
However, you can also try to ask anyone you know in the hospital to try and find out. You'd be amazed what is said between nurses and other professionals behind closed doors. You can bet that if a surgeon is REALLY bad, even the janitors will know.
The thing is, if you ask us, we can't blatantly tell you they're not good. So if you want to know if your future surgeon is good, either try to find other of his/her patients or look him/her up on the internet. The reason is that Since I'm not a Doctor, I technically have no right to criticize them and it would be considered "Damaging his/her reputation" and could be sued / lose our jobs for that.
However, you can also try to ask anyone you know in the hospital to try and find out. You'd be amazed what is said between nurses and other professionals behind closed doors. You can bet that if a surgeon is REALLY bad, even the janitors will know.
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32points
#6
I work as an actor at a haunted house and some of the other actors are actually scarier out of character.
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30points
Americans also seem to be losing faith in the judicial system, with judges seeing a 10-point decline to 28% in their honesty and ethics rating. It's the lowest ever score for this profession.
"The high court’s 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade as well as various legal cases against Donald Trump since 2020 could explain declines in these ratings by both major parties," notes Gallup.
#7
You'd be surprised at how many flies commit s*****e in the fryer.
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28points
#8
I offer middle of the road customer service which almost never results in a customer survey.
Really we don't often care about making you happy, we care about getting rid of your problem so we don't have to deal with you anymore. Only extremely good customer service or extremely terrible customer service will result in a survey, so I do enough to get rid of your issue, as quickly as possible, so you go away.
Really we don't often care about making you happy, we care about getting rid of your problem so we don't have to deal with you anymore. Only extremely good customer service or extremely terrible customer service will result in a survey, so I do enough to get rid of your issue, as quickly as possible, so you go away.
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26points
#9
Do any of you buy bras from Victoria's Secret? You know how they're $50ish? Well we sell a good load of our inventory to discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, and they put them up for like $5. Those are the exact same bras that are in our stores on the same day. We just print over our logo so that discount store customers dont know its ours. We want to hold that "expensive" image, but we still like the money we get from those store buying in huge lots! So the next time you want a "lux" VS bra, just hit marshalls.
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25points
And while one would like to think that religious leaders are seen as trusted, stand-up citizens, the latest poll results paint a different picture. "Clergy have lost another six points in public esteem since 2021, continuing the long-term downward trend in trust in that profession," reports Gallup.
The polling company says that there a few factors at play here, with one being the scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church in recent decades.
#10
I'll start with one from my former profession. I am a teacher now, but used to be in banking.
In banking, violations of the law (state and federal) are commonplace. There are so many banking regulations to ward against theft and money laundering, but most bankers are under such high pressure from their higher-ups that they will willingly violate the law in order to keep a customer (always a *rich* customer) happy.
"Oh, Mr. Millionaire, you want to withdraw $50,000 cash from your wife's account that your name isn't on? Well, since I know you and your wife, I'll allow it even though you aren't legally allowed to. I'll also skip reporting the large cash transaction to the Secret Service so you won't get mad and pull your millions out of our bank!"
Now, it's not every banker, but it is *a lot* of them. Violations of the law are common, all in the name of customer service...for the rich. Wire transfers, overt withdrawals, cashing of checks made out to business entities, large cash transactions that aren't reported, etc. It's everywhere.
In banking, violations of the law (state and federal) are commonplace. There are so many banking regulations to ward against theft and money laundering, but most bankers are under such high pressure from their higher-ups that they will willingly violate the law in order to keep a customer (always a *rich* customer) happy.
"Oh, Mr. Millionaire, you want to withdraw $50,000 cash from your wife's account that your name isn't on? Well, since I know you and your wife, I'll allow it even though you aren't legally allowed to. I'll also skip reporting the large cash transaction to the Secret Service so you won't get mad and pull your millions out of our bank!"
Now, it's not every banker, but it is *a lot* of them. Violations of the law are common, all in the name of customer service...for the rich. Wire transfers, overt withdrawals, cashing of checks made out to business entities, large cash transactions that aren't reported, etc. It's everywhere.
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25points
#11
Used to work at a inpatient state mental health facility. A LOT of the doctors there were absolutely clueless. I've actually seen them actively avoid contact with patients because they're afraid of them. I've seen the patients try to stop the doctors to speak with them and sometimes they don't even acknowledge the patient. Most of them don't go out onto the floor with them more than 15 minutes within a week. And there were usually around 20-ish patients on the long term ward. How you are supposed to treat a patient diagnosed with severe schizophrenia when you aren't even present to observe the full range of symptoms is beyond me. I have a BS in Psych and while I'm absolutely NOT qualified to make ANY diagnosis, what I DO know about it tells me that some of them were misdiagnosed. And IMHO, it's because the doctors didn't want to deal with patients any more than necessary.
Please note this was my experience in one facility and HOPEFULLY not the case throughout government-based mental health. But if you have a family member/loved one in a facility such as this, PLEASE advocate strongly for your loved one because those patients at that facility were the ones that actually got better care.
Please note this was my experience in one facility and HOPEFULLY not the case throughout government-based mental health. But if you have a family member/loved one in a facility such as this, PLEASE advocate strongly for your loved one because those patients at that facility were the ones that actually got better care.
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24points
In a separate study, 24/7 Tempo compiled a list of the 20 most unethical professions by consulting various online sources, including job review and news sites. Arms dealers, unsurprisingly, ranked among the most shady professions.
"Those engaged in the sale and trade of weapons and military equipment may be said to be contributing to the proliferation of violence and the prolongation of wars and civil conflicts, and thus to human suffering," explains the site.
#13
I work for a Fortune 500 company that sells medical devices.
Believe it or not, the big companies really are the ones you can trust. Why? Because they have so much to lose, they've learned to be 100% on the level with regulatory bodies. They don't cut corners or push the boundaries of the law to get their product to market sooner, and most actually self-impose stricter requirements for the products in terms of quality and consistency than the regulatory bodies require. This of course isn't out the goodness of the their heart, but because the potential cost of even a single mistake can be in the billions.
The smaller startups, on the other hand, have no multi-billion-dollar business to lose, and as such often play fast and loose with the law. They frequently do the bare minimum in terms of testing and validation, and will often quietly market their products off-label (meaning they advertise uses for a product without having the clinical data to verify its safety).
This isn't all startups by any means, most are perfectly legitimate and hold themselves to the same standards as the big boys, but there are quite a few who operate this way.
Believe it or not, the big companies really are the ones you can trust. Why? Because they have so much to lose, they've learned to be 100% on the level with regulatory bodies. They don't cut corners or push the boundaries of the law to get their product to market sooner, and most actually self-impose stricter requirements for the products in terms of quality and consistency than the regulatory bodies require. This of course isn't out the goodness of the their heart, but because the potential cost of even a single mistake can be in the billions.
The smaller startups, on the other hand, have no multi-billion-dollar business to lose, and as such often play fast and loose with the law. They frequently do the bare minimum in terms of testing and validation, and will often quietly market their products off-label (meaning they advertise uses for a product without having the clinical data to verify its safety).
This isn't all startups by any means, most are perfectly legitimate and hold themselves to the same standards as the big boys, but there are quite a few who operate this way.
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21points
#14
This is going to get a little obscure, but lawyers that also serve as bail bond agents for their clients. Most people don't get how this system works so brief explanation. When you're arrested you're supposed to be held until trial unless the judge determines you can be released on your own recognizance or you post bail. Bail is an amount of money you post to secure your appearance at trial. Basically, post bail, get it back if you come to trial, lose it if you don't. Most defendants are poor so they can't plunk down hundreds or thousands in cash for bail so they get a bond - basically an insurance product where the bond agent says he's good for the bail money if the defendant doesn't show up for trial. The bondsmen gets roughly 10% from the defendant, which they keep regardless, and write a bond promising they'll pay if defendant doesn't show up.
Well in Texas, a lawyer can post bond for his client and charge his client money to do it. This is a big f*****g conflict of interest and I have no idea how it's ethical or allowed. Our communications with clients are supposed to be privileged and confidential. We are supposed to have the utmost loyalty and good faith in dealing with clients. So what happens when that client blows off trial, thereby committing another crime and putting the lawyer on the hook for thousands of dollars in bail money? If you ask the lawyers that do this shady s**t, they'll tell you they'd never help the cops find their client or hire a bounty hunter to find their client (a clear violation of their ethical duties to clients as lawyers) they'll just eat the thousands of dollars for their f**k-up client. Of course when anyone has a economic incentive to to do something and an ethical obligation not to, you can pretty well predict which will win out. There is no reason whatsoever that a lawyer should be able to post bond for a client in anything above a traffic offense. It's an inherent conflict and the lawyers that do it are super shady.
Well in Texas, a lawyer can post bond for his client and charge his client money to do it. This is a big f*****g conflict of interest and I have no idea how it's ethical or allowed. Our communications with clients are supposed to be privileged and confidential. We are supposed to have the utmost loyalty and good faith in dealing with clients. So what happens when that client blows off trial, thereby committing another crime and putting the lawyer on the hook for thousands of dollars in bail money? If you ask the lawyers that do this shady s**t, they'll tell you they'd never help the cops find their client or hire a bounty hunter to find their client (a clear violation of their ethical duties to clients as lawyers) they'll just eat the thousands of dollars for their f**k-up client. Of course when anyone has a economic incentive to to do something and an ethical obligation not to, you can pretty well predict which will win out. There is no reason whatsoever that a lawyer should be able to post bond for a client in anything above a traffic offense. It's an inherent conflict and the lawyers that do it are super shady.
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20points
#15
"Best Professional Judgement" means that your kid's marks aren't always based on the work they do, but on how we feel about their progression... Some s****y teachers take advantage to crush some kids and prop up others. Some great teachers use this to make things right.
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20points
Tobacco industry execs also made it onto the list. As did debt collectors.
"Companies and individuals have a right to collect debts fairly owed to them, but some individuals working in the debt collection industry use aggressive, harassing, or unethical tactics to pursue overdue payments, causing distress and financial hardship to already vulnerable individuals," reads the site.
#16
Animal rescue organisations are rife with abuse towards volunteers. Lots of emotional blackmail by telling the volunteer that an animal will suffer if they don't do something. Therefore volunteers end up fostering more animals than they can cope with, working 14+ hour days. Volunteers who are very trusting or afraid/unable to say no get the worst of it and are pushed well past their limits.
Less common but I have seen multiple occasions where a volunteer will be reaching the end of their rope and they'll be asked to foster "one more time" and it will be a near unadoptable animal, that animal will then be left with them and the organisation will cut all contact or pretend you agreed to adopt that animal.
This happened to me once and I was left with two 1 year old feral cats in my two room apartment where I have another cat. I was only meant to mind the two for a weekend. Another person who worked with a different organisation was left with 8 extremely sick kittens which she had to pay for the medical treatment for out of her own pocket.
Less common but I have seen multiple occasions where a volunteer will be reaching the end of their rope and they'll be asked to foster "one more time" and it will be a near unadoptable animal, that animal will then be left with them and the organisation will cut all contact or pretend you agreed to adopt that animal.
This happened to me once and I was left with two 1 year old feral cats in my two room apartment where I have another cat. I was only meant to mind the two for a weekend. Another person who worked with a different organisation was left with 8 extremely sick kittens which she had to pay for the medical treatment for out of her own pocket.
19points
#17
I worked for a school in Australia. Every year, each principal gets a confidential copy of the confidential 'Do Not Employ' confidential document that is a complete 10-15 page confidential list of all of the teachers who are not to be employed because they are either medically retired, or have done something inappropriate with students.
Some of the names had one or two ominous-looking asterisks next to them but unfortunately the paragraph on the front (explaining the reasons for someone being on the list) did not mention what they meant.
Only the principal is allowed to read it but as a young sh*tkicker, my job was to open all of the mail and document the mail in the mailing book, so I got a good look at the list on a few occasions. It certainly answered a few questions about certain teachers in my past who 'just weren't there one day for no apparent reason'.
Also, I may have accidentally photocopied the list accidentally and accidentally taken it to my (other) school where I accidentally showed everyone accidentally.
Some of the names had one or two ominous-looking asterisks next to them but unfortunately the paragraph on the front (explaining the reasons for someone being on the list) did not mention what they meant.
Only the principal is allowed to read it but as a young sh*tkicker, my job was to open all of the mail and document the mail in the mailing book, so I got a good look at the list on a few occasions. It certainly answered a few questions about certain teachers in my past who 'just weren't there one day for no apparent reason'.
Also, I may have accidentally photocopied the list accidentally and accidentally taken it to my (other) school where I accidentally showed everyone accidentally.
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18points
#18
Used to work in food service. I would strongly suggest *not* going to some restaurant or what have you when there is a special deal or promotion going on where there's going to be a huge crowd.
Being really busy trying to keep up with such a high volume of customer demands makes it very hard to keep up with standard health code practices.
Being really busy trying to keep up with such a high volume of customer demands makes it very hard to keep up with standard health code practices.
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18points
#19
A surprisingly large amount of online service providers blatantly employ what we in the industry refer to as [dark patterns.](http://darkpatterns.org/) Basically, not all the frustrating interactions you find online are based on bad design. Often, it's a deliberate and calculated approach based on human psychology.
Fortunately, the majority of people I've worked with have a pretty strong ethical bias against this. Unfortunately, I've also met plenty of people who have zero qualms with monetizing deliberately deceptive patterns of online interaction.
Fortunately, the majority of people I've worked with have a pretty strong ethical bias against this. Unfortunately, I've also met plenty of people who have zero qualms with monetizing deliberately deceptive patterns of online interaction.
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18points
#20
I'm a DSP (direct support professional. I assist in the day to day lives of those with mental and physical handicaps.)
It's all about money. Not the people we support, not the staff, just profits and funding. They kept a guy around for months while he was injuring both residents and staff because he was bringing in decent funding. They will put people in homes they don't fit into just because they are well funded. (A full care individual in a home that is short staffed and has 15 other people to support.)
We get paid far less than the job is worth, and usually have to fight to get time off and taking a sick day brings on world War 3. We are about 9 staff short throughout the agency, and no one is willing to pick up shifts anymore, but they will gladly take on more supported people to keep the funding coming in.
I love my job, and I love the people I care for, but it's blatantly obvious now that this company doesn't care about anything but funding.
It's all about money. Not the people we support, not the staff, just profits and funding. They kept a guy around for months while he was injuring both residents and staff because he was bringing in decent funding. They will put people in homes they don't fit into just because they are well funded. (A full care individual in a home that is short staffed and has 15 other people to support.)
We get paid far less than the job is worth, and usually have to fight to get time off and taking a sick day brings on world War 3. We are about 9 staff short throughout the agency, and no one is willing to pick up shifts anymore, but they will gladly take on more supported people to keep the funding coming in.
I love my job, and I love the people I care for, but it's blatantly obvious now that this company doesn't care about anything but funding.
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17points